I get a whoosing noise coming from under the dashboard on the drivers side of the car every time I acclerate from a standstill. It sound like water flushing down a pipe. All the fluids are ok & I have zero leaks. Before I take the car to a repair shop & get a bad deal. Does anybody have an idea?. The car has 58,000 miles on it. Regards Britnut.
It is probably coolant running through your heater core, which is perfectly normal. That’s what gives you cabin heat. It usually doesn’t make noise, though, so maybe the engine coolant needs to be topped off.
Does the noise go away when you turn the heater off and the control to ‘cold’?
Type of car would be nice to know, but I am going to go with Clogged AC vent line and that you have water sloshing around your air box. There is a drain line that runs from the airbox to outside the car, if it gets clogged the water from condensation get trapped in the car. Feel around the passenger side carpet up towards the top near the back of the glove box. Is it wet??
Ah, yes. Good call. That’s far more likely.
I think that it is much more likely that you have air trapped in the heater core. The noise is water dropping through the air and splashing inside. This was most likely caused by either not refilling the system properly, which allowed the air to migrate from the engine to the heater core, or a leak somewhere that allowed the level to drop low enough to trap the air.
As someone previously mentioned, the type of engine would be helpful. for example most Toyotas have bleed plugs that you open to allow the air to escape while you fill the system.
If you haven’t flushed the system lately now would be a good time. IN any event, you probably have to drain and refill (correctly - see the manual).
Probably air in cooling system as 90 Camry has said.
IF this is the heater core…then the OP should be having MANY more issues with the engine and cooling than they have reported. I don’t know the year of this vehicle…and this is important as they may have a vacuum leak regarding to their heater controls…vacuum operated vent or blending doors etcetera…will make quite a racket if the coupling have come loose behind the dash… Otherwise…you guys are correct the heater core will make a bunch o noise…WHILE THE ENGINE OVERHEATS and blows STEAM into the Heater core…ALL of which points to and creates a MASSIVE other problem…and points to a significant failure of a major engine component names a Head Gasket.
I hope I am wrong… and I wish that this is simply a vacuum related issue.
PLEASE have your coolant system BURPED…any mechanic worth his salt will know what you mean when you mention this.
PLEASE tell us…have you had to fill or top off the radiator recently? Or have you been doing a top off as par for the course recently? If so…you are telling us a lot…I hope you haven’t been…but PLEASE tell us if you Have…it matters greatly
I just re-read the post and when you state that the noise comes from the pass side…the guys are on Point when they discuss the A/C … It may be possible that your A/C is ON without your knowledge…you can figure this out and tell us…by running your engine and looking under your hood to see if the A.C compressor is engaged…IS IT? Look for us. If it is…then it is possibly a malfunction of the A/C controls…IF you have not selected the A/C to be on OR you have the front Defroster on (these two dictate that the A/C compressor be on) maybe the electronic controls inside the car are faulty…
We need more info from you …the OP…the person who started this discussion. PLEASE let us know and we shall gladly assist.
Blackbird
My initial thought was airbubble/coolant related as well but I wouldn’t discount GSR’s comment, though.
It is also not something you want to ignore. I’ve seen it on an Altima where it would spill out, spill over the ECM and cause all sorts of intermittent havoc. If it happens to be a an airbubble in the heater core, it will also definitely need to be taken care of.
Not sure if you’re mechanically inclined, britnut, but maybe just have it looked at by someone you trust. It doesn’t sound like an expensive problem to fix.
…vacuum operated vent or blending doors etcetera…will make quite a racket if the coupling have come loose behind the dash…
. It may be possible that your A/C is ON without your knowledge
maybe the electronic controls inside the car are faulty…
I love these “far out” ideas. It’s just liquid rushing thru the heater core.
Far out? I don’t see one far out idea in the list at all…and I’ve been doing this for over 25 years. I apologize if my ideas are freaking you out… I also mentioned the heater core as a suspect…I just added several other ideas…ALL of them quite possible…and ones that I have seen first hand
And no it isn’t just liquid rushing thru the heater core IF there is an air bubble in the cooling system.
IF the A/C compressor is actually pumping/on…and the blower motor is not running (because of an electrical switch fault) so that you can hear the compressed gas going thru the Evaporator…it will sound like a hiss and the noise can pulse and surge along with many other weird noises
Please tell me…what do you find FAR OUT in my comment… Are you suggesting that I don’t know what I am talking about regarding cars and the myriad failure modes they can exhibit?
Perhaps I am a rookie, and don’t know whats up…Trust me my friend…those accusations (if you are making them) should definitely be directed toward someone else…
My Automotive Kung-Fu is FIERCE by anyones measure, my man… Of this there is no doubt.
Blackbird…
My Automotive Kung-Fu is FIERCE by anyones measure, my man… Of this there is no doubt.
SO, there’s nothing that you don’t know about cars, Hu?
There’s nothing I don’t know about cars? Who the hell said that? What a foolish statement that would be… You didn’t see me write that down…that’s for certain. I know a few Metric Tons about cars and cycles and other motor vehicles…FAR more than most, not as much as some and haven’t met the all knowing yet. The way I see it, there will ALWAYS be room to learn…No one knows all, the very idea is silly.
What a very 3rd grade statement…
Blackbird
Please let us know if any of these problems are YOUR problem
vacuum operated vent or blending doors etcetera…will make quite a racket if the coupling have come loose behind the dash…
. It may be possible that your A/C is ON without your knowledge
maybe the electronic controls inside the car are faulty…
Have you checked the muffler belt? If it slips, it can make quite a racket.
After re-reading this thread, I doubt the OP will ever be back!
His original post said:
" It sound like water flushing down a pipe."
How in the world would a blend door or AC refrig expanding make that sound?
Hey BB, are you trying to sell this guy a new engine or what?
A blown head gasket?
I’ll stand by my diagnosis of an air lock.
BB please stick to Hondas - lawnmowers.
90 Camry, the remarks above are not MY remarks but Blackbird’s
I guess Britnut found the answer to his problem, he hasn’t been back lately.